Innovate Public Schools is a power building organization dedicated to building the capacity of parents and families to organize, advocate, and demand high quality schools for their children.
We believe that the education system was not designed to serve all children, and that the biggest barrier to all children having access to an excellent school is a lack of political will to improve the system. We believe the voices and experiences of parents, families, and students should be elevated and centered in decisions about education.
Carmen Rodriguez with Sen. Portantino
Parent leader, Carmen Rodriguez visits Senator Anthony Portantino at CA State Capitol
Innovate builds power for a more equitable education system...
in key areas throughout California, at the State level and nationwide. Our flagship programming provides foundational understanding of community organizing and trains community organizations, school leaders and parents to take action for a more equitable education system. With a people-based research and policy approach, we equip parents, families and advocacy organizations with the data driven tools they need to advocate for better educational outcomes in local school districts.
Parent Leaders throughout California Organize for High Quality Education for Black & Brown Students. Read more in our latest Blog Entries.
Are students of color over-identified or under-identified as having a disability? The answer is both.
Research is conflicting — some studies suggest that students of color are over-identified for special needs, while others show they are under-identified. Either way, this misidentification can limit their achievement in school and beyond.
Finding hidden genius: the importance of STEM education for low-income students
Not all students are getting equal access to STEM education. During the 2015-2016 school year, low-income students and students of color were less likely to have opportunities to take advanced math and science classes. A study from the U.S. Department of Education showed that only 55 percent of high schools with high Black and Latino enrollment — compared to 65 percent of all high schools — offered advanced mathematics. For calculus, only 38 percent of high schools with high Black and Latino student enrollment offered advanced math, compared to 50 percent of all schools.
SF Approves Money for Schools
We are happy that the Supervisors voted to sign onto a deal that allocates $13.5 million to fund teacher salary increases and $52 million to a reserve fund for teacher wages in 2020-21. We continue to call on the school district to use any resources they can to support schools with large numbers of underserved students. In particular, we would like to see the funds go to the specific schools that Superintendent Vincent Matthews has identified as PITCH schools.
Windfall Money Should Go to San Francisco Schools
The school district and teachers’ union are calling on the Board of Supervisors to give $60 million of the city’s ERAF windfall money to the school district to pay for teacher raises under Proposition G (which was approved by the...
What Parents Need to Know about California’s New College / Career Indicator
Students have big goals for themselves, 94% want to attend college and 70% have career goals that require a college degree. In our 21st century economy, the reality is that preparing students for good careers generally means preparing them for college.








